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The Upcoming 2008 NFL Draft : Top Football Players from Smaller Schools May Be Surprisingly High Draft Picks

By Andis Kaulins

In the upcoming 2008 NFL Draft, the players from small schools that we would consider as potential high draft picks are:

1. Tyrell Johnson, Strong Safety, Arkansas State.
Johnson has great strength and agility, excellent speed, and is one of those players who has the instinct and desire which puts them in the right place at the right time in critical game situations. Johnson looks like a future Pro Bowl prospect to us.
see
Doug Farrar at Scout.com and his article Tyrell Johnson : Forgotten Man Gains Ground
Frank Cooney's NFL Draft Scout - Ratings
Frank Cooney's NFL Draft Scout- Combine
NFL Smackdown

2. Brian Johnston, Defensive End, Gardner-Webb.
Johnston has great speed for his size, and was often double-teamed in college ball. He may be a number one pick for a team needing a defensive end.
see
NFL Draft Guys
NFL Draft Dog

3. Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie, Cornerback, Tennessee State (born in Bradenton, Florida)
Many in fact see Rodgers-Cromatie as a first-round draft pick.
see
NFL Draft Countdown
NFL Draft Watch
NFL Insider NFL Draft Tracker

We are also interested to see if the following small college running backs, both originally out of Nebraska, will be drafted, and if so, in which round:

Danny Woodhead, Chadron State
see
NFL Draft Countdown
NFL Draft Watch

and

Xavier Omon, Northwest Missouri State (out of Beatrice, Nebraska)

Omon has the better size and weight for pro ball but is slower than Woodhead as an RB. Woodhead has lightning speed in all directions, but with size and weight normally considered too small for pro ball.

However, Woodhead is bigger and faster than Darren Sproles, and is about the same size and speed as Maruice Jones-Drew, both of whom have been quite successful in the NFL, and Woodhead has better combine-type stats at all levels than Sproles, so that we expect someone to take him in the draft as a return man for special teams.

Omon was the MVP in the Texas v. The Nation Game, a performance which we think will move him into a draft position rather than the otherwise expected free agent status.

Full post as published by LawPundit on April 15, 2008 (boomark / email).